Dental floss holder



Sept. 2. 1924. 1,507,313

c. E. HUDSQN DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER Filed Feb. 1923 072a r ZeSlZfHuds on Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES CHARLES E. HUDSON, OF LEOMINSTEB, MASSACHUSETTS.

DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER.

Application filed February 8, 1923. Serial No. 617,717.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES .ErHUDSON,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Leominster, county of Worcester, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Dental Floss Holders, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

' This invention relates to dental floss holders and aims to provide a novel holder adapted to be carried in the pocket and having, among others, the advantages hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings of the particular embodiment of my invention described and claimed herein,

Fig. l is a top view of the holder;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the cover open;

I Fig. 3, a similar view with the floss supporting arm in operative position;

4, a detail of the supporting arm hinge construction;

Figs. 5 and 6, deta1l sectional views on enlarged scale of the inner or hinge arm end on the lines 5-56--6 of Figs. 1 and 3 respectively, in inoperative and operative positions;

Fig. 7, a top view part-1y broken away of a modified form of holder;

Fig. 8, a top view of the same form in operative posi-t1on;

Fig. 9, a partly sectional detail on an enlarged scale on the line 99, Fig. 8, of the inner or hinge arm end in operative position;

Fig. 10, a section on the line lO-10 of Fig. 9, showing the parts in normal or inoperative positions;

Fig. 11, a top view partly broken away of a second modified form;

Fig. 12, a view of this modification with the cover removed and the arm in operative position;

Fig. 13, a partly vertical section on an enlarged scale on the line 13-13, Fig. 12, of the hinge arm end inoperative position; and -Figs. 14, 15 and 16, details of modified means for securing the floss end to the outer arm end.

'Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, my novel floss holdercomprises a preferably curvilinear case 1, comparatively shallow and with an upturned flange 2 on its edge, and adapted to be readily carried in the pocket or hand bag.

On the edge of the holder or case 1, at any suitable point, are providedtwo cars 3, 4, which are drilled to receive the inner end of a curved floss holding arm or support 5 which preferably conforms generally to the outline of the case 1, and is adapted to swing in said ears to desired operative position. The cover 6 has a flcnge 6 which carries an ear 7 whichfitsbetween the ears 3, 4, and is also drilled to receive the end of the arm member 5.

The inner end of the arm 5 between the two ears 3, 4, is drilled, notched or cut away horizontally at 8, Fig. 5, opposite an aperture 0r slot 9, Fig. 4, in the ear 7 The outer end of the arm 5 may be provided with a small nut 10 mounted to turn up against a boss 11 on the arm, to lock the floss end between the boss and nut to anchor the same.

The silk or dental floss, Fig. 2, may be placed within the case 1, in the form of 'a" To use the floss, a suificient length having been withdrawn from the case, the arm 5 is first turned to the left, see Fig. 3, which acts, Fig. 6, to pinch or compress the floss between the outer face of the inner or hinged end of the arm 5 and the inner face of the ear 7, and to lock it securely. The opposite end of the floss may then be secured or anchored to the outer end of arm 5 by winding it once or twice-between the nut 10 and the boss 11 and turning up the nut. The floss is thus tightly drawn between the two ends of the arm 5, Fig. 3, and may be conveniently used as-desired.

After use the end of the floss is unwound from the outer arm .end, the arm is preferably swung back to normal position-and the thread carried down beneath a cutter 15 struck up from or otherwise formed on the case 1, the used portion of the floss severed passed through a slot in the'flange and looped as shown, and the floss passes through a slot in the flange 2, thence through a cut away portion, slit or hole on the arm end at 17, seeFigs. 7 and 10, as in the case of Figs. 5 and 6.

When the arm 5 is turned upward or away from the case as in Fig. 8, the floss is com pressed betweenthe arm end and the ear 7 as before. The outer floss end can then be secured to the outer arm end, which in this case comprises a series of coils of wire 18 about the arm end, bothv ends of the wire being preferably secured to the arm end.

The floss end can be readily forced between the-adjacent coils and held securely.

In Figs. 11 to 13 is illustrated a second modification wherein the arm end 5 is pivoted in an ear 19 on the inner face of the upturned flange 2 of the case 1. The ear, Fig. 13, has an aperture or slit through it at -20 registering with any convenient opening 21 in the arm end 5 when the arm is in inoperative position, Fig. 11. When the arm is turned to operative position, Figs. 12, 13, the freefloss end is carried half a turn around by the turning end 5 and is forced out of its plane of travel and is compressed orcrowded and locked between the end 5 and the 'BELI.19. The free end of the floss extended through the outer end of the aperture 20 is then secured to the outer arm end. as in the case of Fig. 9, or in any other way desired, as by forcing it into the split arm end, Fig. 14, or by providing the arm with a'pair of convex disks 22 Fig. 15 between which the floss end is anchored or gripped. The cover flange 6 is slotted to receive the arm 5 and, to make room for the swinging action of the lnturned arm end 5 in the constructlon shown, Figs. 11, 12, the

flange 2 may be cut away for a short distance along its upper edge, see Fig. 11, the

inturned end 5 and the cover 6 of the case turning with the arm and permitting the latter to work freely. I

. In this construction pressure may readily be exerted on the boX and cover 6 by the fingers efficiently to hold the arm flrmly'in position.

As illustrated in Fig. 16, the arm is pro- .videdwith a few' turns of flat wire, the outer face of which isV-shaped. The floss will be firmly held between the successivecoils of this wire.

The floss in either of theforegoing cases is held sufficiently tightly to permit its application to the teeth and use without especially holding it for that purpose.

My invention is not limited in all respects to the particular features of construction shown.

Claims:

1. A dental floss holder comprising a case, an arm movable thereonpermitting withdrawal of the floss from thecase and through the inner arm end and also adapted, when swung away from the case, tolock the floss against further withdrawal.

2. A dental floss holder comprising a case, an arm movable thereon, a passage normally open through the case and arm end radially of the case for the floss, the passage 2 so positioned that when the arm is turned to operative position, the floss-end will be locked b the movablearm end against withdrawal 'rom the case.

3. A dental floss holder comprising a case,

a movable arm thereon with means permitting withdrawal of floss through the inner arm end, the arm. adapted, when moved to operative position, to close the floss'loutlet in the case and provided on its outer end with floss anchoring means for the free:

end of the floss.

4:. A dental floss holder comprising a case,

an opening therein for withdrawing floss therefrom and an arm on the case adapted to be moved to operative'position, and to lock the floss between the arm and case and close the outlet in the case, and provide a locking means on.- the outer arm end for the free floss end 5. A dental floss holder comprising a'case,-"

a swinging arm thereon, a portionof the inner arm end recessed to admit the floss, the arm adapted, when'swung awayv from the case, to compress the floss between: it

and the case. V

6. A dental floss holder comprising a case, an outlet therein, a floss holding, member axially mounted thereon and adapted-to be swung away from the case to close theoutlet to lock the floss automatically at one point and having anchoring means thereon to anchor the ,floss at another point.

7. A dental floss holder comprisinga case, an arcuate arm for stretching the floss section to be used between the case and arm end, the arm so mounted on the case as to permit the drawing of floss therethrough while in concentric relation to the case and when in opposite position to also look the floss against withdrawal, and means also periphery and axially'thereof, and having a floss engaging means on its outer end,

and floss delivering passage in the case and arm so positioned that the passage is closed when the arm is moved from the case.

9. A device of the class described com prising a case, anaperture therein for delivery of the floss, a floss end carrying, stretching and delivery aperture closing member mounted to swing toward and from the case.

10. A device of the class described comprising a case with a delivery outlet therein, an arm hinged at one end on the case to receive the free floss end and adapted to simultaneously close the outlet and stretch the floss tightly between the two arm ends when the arm is swung away from the case, and a cutter for the floss on the case.

11. A device of the class described comprising the case 1 with a passage through the edge thereof, the arm 5 movably mounted on the case, the inner arm end having a passage therethrough for the floss, and a wire-like member coiled about the outer arm end and fastened against longitudinal movement on the arm.

12. A device of the class described cornprising a case, a swinging arm thereon, a passage normally open through the case and inner arm end in registering relation, the arm adapted when in one position to receive floss loosely and when swung to a second position to receive and grip the floss tightly, the outer arm end having floss receiving means thereon.

13. A device of the class described comprising a curvilinear case, an arcuate arm pivoted to the edge thereof and adapted to be swung inwardly against the same, an opening in the case normally open when the arm is adjacent the case, and closed when the arm is swung away therefrom, carrying the floss partially around the arm end to lock it, and a floss feeding passage through the arm end registering with the floss opening when the arm is swung inwardly.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES E. HUDSON. 

